The Price of Loyalty
by Sephielya J. Maxwell
Summary: Kabuto is captured and brought back to Konoha, placed in Ibiki's hands for interrogation. What does Kakashi have to do with this, and what will Orochimaru do about it?
1. Session Begins

A/N: Warnings for violence.

Title: The Price of Loyalty

They only had a day's warning before the attack began.

One of Otogakure's smaller bases, which wouldn't have usually been too big of a loss—was in turmoil. Just over twenty-four hours ago they had gotten a warning that information had been leaked somewhere. Orochimaru was absolutely livid, ordering everyone to take what they could, and destroy the rest of it. Most of the important information had already been handled as such, though no one seemed to move fast enough for the Sannin's taste. He refused to leave the base, no matter his right-hand's advice, until everything was either gone or demolished. He would leave this base in ruins, even if he had to do it with Konoha right in front of them. And it just so happened, an hour ago, that that very scenario had become a reality. What little ninja were left had started a battle to stall them, but the forces that Konoha had sent were surprisingly large.

Fools… did they really think that Orochimaru brought Sasuke everywhere with him? He wasn't here, of course. He was safe, some seventy miles away in another base. With the front entrances and several secret ones invaded by Konoha, they had no choice but to use their own, the Sannin and his medic. However, just as they stepped into the dark tunnel, Orochimaru spun to grasp Kabuto's shirt.

"The seal in the lab. Someone will undo it. There's valuable information in there; I can't leave until it's gone." Kabuto placed his hand over his master's loosening his fingers.

"Then go, I'll handle it." He said quickly. Whether the Sannin wanted to admit it or not, he was in no shape. It was nearing the three year mark of his jutsu, and his body was already in enough pain that it kept him awake at night, and hindered his eating habits. Golden eyes searched Kabuto's dark ones for a moment. He didn't want to admit his weakness, Kabuto knew. He smiled, adjusting his glasses as he turned away. "Please, go. This will be nothing." He said before he took off.

That was what he said, but…

Three Anbu in his path went down swiftly, shortly after encountering the medic, but they were getting much higher in number. Switching to a less direct method, Kabuto used every back way that he could think of to avoid them. His gloves and shirt were both blood-splattered by the time that he reached the damned lab, and the entire area was crawling with Konoha's Anbu. He heard a familiar voice coming from within the lab, narrowing his eyes as he slipped off his headband, edging it past the door to see the commotion. Three Anbu had surrounded a ninja he knew as Keita, an apprentice to some of the scientists. He was a very bright student, but not very skilled in ninjutsu. The seal that his master was speaking of was on the wall behind them, almost invisible to the naked eye.

The Konoha Anbu didn't spare a glance as their teammate slipped into the room, focusing on the one ninja left in the lab. They didn't think anything of it… until two of them went down, one gutted with a wickedly curved kunai, and the other's throat cut, their comrade standing between them, oblivious to the blood that soaked his clothing. Before the genjutsu even fell, the medic had blocked two shuriken, and Keita had caught on. "Hold them off." Kabuto ordered, turning to the wall and forming the seals lightning fast and pressing his hands to the wall. A ripple passed through the stone, and the wall faded away slowly. At once, Kabuto grabbed a hold of a flask nearest him, sending it crashing to the floor. "Keita-kun, Katon, now!" Pressed his back hard to his comrade's, and the small brunette spun them around.

"Right!" The younger ninja shouted, forming the seals as Kabuto fought the opponents in turn. Fire burst forth from the small ninja's lips, catching the substance from the flask and igniting it at once. A split second later the contents of the room caught light, exploding with a force that threw both ninja to the floor hard enough to steal the breath from their lungs. Coughing, Kabuto stood up slowly. Several Anbu rushed in, and he saw Keita standing out of the corner of his eye—but the other was wounded, blood running freely down one arm that hung almost limp at his side. Must have been a piece of shrapnel… The fire was quickly spreading, nearing the computer equipment and rows of wetly glistening tubes and vials holding unspeakable substances. Shit! There wasn't any time! Pulling his kunai, Kabuto ducked low over one Anbu's too-high strike, merely skimming his stomach with his weapon as he darted past him.

Maybe he just wasn't fast enough. Maybe, just maybe he might have hesitated when he heard his comrade screaming his name behind him. Maybe, it was just fate.

The lab exploded into a flurry of flames just before he cleared the doorway, and seconds later, something hit Kabuto's head with such force that his vision went dark at once.

------

Thing came slowly to him, and the first thing to come was pain. Violent, crushing pain on his shoulder. Fighting not to groan, Kabuto tried to move his right shoulder and found it impossible. Voices echoed off of the walls, and the air was so hot and thick that he could barely breathe. As the voices drew closer the medic fought to remain calm, opening his eyes just a sliver. The vision from his right was tainted red and stung like hell, and his left eye saw only in blurred colors. He closed his eyes again when the voices were right on top of him, speaking quickly and heatedly. Enemy… and they had found him.

When the heavy object—whatever it happened to be, was lifted from his shoulder, it took all of Kabuto's willpower not to cry out loud, merely tensing slightly in response. Fingers self his neck for his pulse, and they must have given a sign, for they didn't speak. He somehow managed to stay lip as they lifted him, half dragging him out of the long, seemingly never ending tunnel. Oh, the pain in his shoulder was absolutely _excruciating, _but he endured it. This could be his only chance, after all. It was still dark outside, he could tell by the sound of the insects and the feel of the wet grass as the laid him out. They were all shouting again, and at last he was beginning to hear them.

"Got… ere… ive…I'm not su…"

"Fi…m?"

"By the… crushed…rious."

Things were quiet for a moment, before one voice spoke up, louder than the other's. A voice he recognized—"That's—!!" The voice said, but Kabuto's mostly healed shoulder responded quicker, and he shot up to swing the kunai he'd taken from his enemy. He only grazed the mask, cracking it and cutting the other's chin, before a heavy body landed on top of him and his still sore shoulder was smashed into the wet grass by an iron hand, arm twisted up behind him, weapon wretched away. At last, he cried out. Loudly. "Don't kill him!" The same voice that had tried to warm them shouted. The cold kunai pressed to his neck froze there, and Kabuto felt the intent to draw blood radiating from the other.

"Ngh… Hello again… Kakashi-san…" Kabuto groaned, his breath a little ragged with pain. He couldn't see the Jounin, but he knew him by his voice well enough.

"I didn't expect to catch _you, _Yakushi Kabuto. I thought you were better than this."

"Maybe I… missed your face?" The medic smirked, then clenched his teeth to bite back a groan as the man on top of him added weight to his shoulder. "Aa…ahh…!" A shudder passes through him, and he was still and quiet. He needed to save his strength.

"…Drug him. And get the others ready as well, we're leaving. This place is empty." The Jounin said flatly, turning his back, though his fists were clenched. Others…? They had caught others. Others meant increased chances of people talking under torture, and more secrets spilled. Damn it…! At least… at least his master had gotten away safely. The medic's silver hair was grabbed, his head tilted to the side and the needle jammed into his neck none-to-gently. He didn't give a sound in response, denying them the pleasure of it. Nothing could possibly hurt worse than his shame.

He had been caught.

------

Kakashi couldn't believe this stroke of luck, as well as this unfortunate situation. Catching the snake Sannin's right-hand man had never been expected, for they had come to believe that ninjas of any importance would be gone by the time that they arrived. It was fortunate… and unlucky. Kabuto wouldn't talk, he knew this. The teen had told him as much when he had first had the chance to capture him, and botched that chance. However, with the type of information that the young man held inside of his head, Konoha couldn't give up without trying. That meant that Ibiki was going to be called in, and Kabuto was going to be handed over to him.

/_You idiot… how could you get caught? What could you possibly have been doing, staying around this late in time? We were right __**here**__. I can't do anything for you, you know that was our agreement…/_

He sighed, feeling all kinds of things stirring inside of him that should never have been there in the first place. It wasn't as if Kabuto meant anything to him... He was an enemy, a traitor, a murderer of his fellow ninja. Still, this left a sour taste in his mouth, that he didn't care to stomach for too long.

------

For the next day and a half, Kabuto's memories were muddled, fuzzy, and delirious at best. Water was forced down his dry throat at one point, but he received nothing else that would classify as sustanance. His hands were bound tightly behind him, each time the person carrying him made a sudden move sending a fresh wave of pain through his blurry mind. It wasn't until things had quieted down for a long period that a quiet voice roused him.

"Kabuto-sensei... Kabuto-sensei...!" It called in a harsh whisper, and he felt something nudge his ribs.

"Ngh..." His eyes were unfocused when he opened them, but it was almost pitch black in the first place. "Don't kick me." He told the other, and a dark shape leaned over him.

"You're awake... How are you?"

"...Jaetou-kun? So, you've been caught too." Kabuto said, whispering as well. A small whimper sounded from behind them, and he forced himself to get to his knees to glance in that direction. "..." Eyes widened, "Keita-kun!" He said, a little louder. The younger ninja was huddled in the corner, face wet with tears as he trembled, biting his lower lip. Half of his face was burned, but not too badly, and his hair was singed. All together he smelled of a chemical fire, and the medic winced. He'd thought the boy was dead, for sure... this was not good. Glancing to his older comrade, they shared a look. Jaetou, his black hair astray and hanging in his face, nodded once. Just as Kabuto moved to slip his hands under his feet to the front of him, the heavy iron door screeched open with an awful groan, not unlike that of a human in agony.

"Well, well, well... All thee of them awake!" A cocky voice sounded, and all eyes turned to the man standing in the doorway. Though smaller in stature than Kabuto, he was no where near Jaetou's. "Ohh... Look at those glares. Nice. We'll wipe those expression right off of your face. Guys, you heard Ibiki-taichou. That silver-haired bitch is first." The man waved his arm, and three others filed into the small room. Kabuto didn't bother to resist as they lifted him up by his arms, merely gritting his teeth to fight the groan. One of them grabbing the back of his lose hair, tilting his head back. The first man walked over slowly, a smirk on his ugly face. "Now, you be real good for us, Yakushi-san. Wouldn't want to have to hurt you before Ibiki-taichou gets his hands on you... he'd be very upset." He mocked, but Kabuto gave him a smile.

"By all means, do hurry then. I doubt I can behave myself for long–" He was cut off as a fist slammed into his gut, unable to double over because of the strong hands holding him still. Coughing, Kabuto gasped for breath.

"I hear you're supposed to be good under torture... We're going to _love _breaking you, the snake's top bitch himself." He smirked again, and Kabuto spit into his face. The man pulled his hand back for another blow, but another spoke up,

"Wait, Gakyu-san! Ibiki-taichou said to wait, remember?" The man holding the medic's silver hair reminded, and the one called Gakyu glared, fist shaking.

"...Then let's hurry up." He cursed, reaching up to his own face to trace a scar on his cheek. He glared in the direction of Jaetou, but the other man merely gave him a stony glare. Glancing in the direction of Keita on the other hand earned him a whimper, and he smirked again, confidence restored. "You're next, pretty-boy." Gakyu said acidly, turning on his heel and leaving the dark room for the well-lit hallway. The men drug Kabuto after him. Cell after cell passed by, some of them locked tight with jutsu's all over them, and some of them open and empty. Kabuto only hoped that where had been only three of them caught...

The room they brought him too was larger than the cell had been, solid concrete walls and a stained floor with a drain in the middle. Various objects of interest caught the medic's sight, none of them he liked very much to see. A rack, a few frames, cuffs, chains, a smoldering pit, whips, needles, rope, a few metal chairs... His attention was drawn away from his fate, which was growing darker by the moment, and to the tall and imposing man standing in the middle of the room. His face, the area between his bandana and his collar, was scarred badly and his dark eyes were cold as they regarded the medic.

"Ahh, Morino-san...I remember you." Kabuto spoke unexpectedly, and Ibiki frowned.

"You look a lot different from the quiet boy who followed his father around. I always warned Yakushi-san against bringing his son to my sessions... Even thought you never batted an eye at the atrocities you saw happen right in front of you at that age."

"Hmm, I did have a rather rough childhood..." The medic said casually, and Gakyu snarled.

"What are you talking to him for, Ibiki-taichou! Let's get started!"

"_Shut up, _Gakyu. One more word and you'll never see the inside of one of these rooms again unless you're the recipient." Ibiki snapped in his rough voice, and the scrawny ninja was efficiently silenced.

"That's right Gakyu-san," Kabuto took it upon himself to explain. "Morino Ibiki is a _genius _at mental torture techniques. He thinks he cam make me talk by making me feel familiar to him. It's too bad though, that I never liked anyone in Konoha. This place was never my home, and I never betrayed anyone." His voice was calm, and Ibiki frowned more.

"I see... well then let's not waste time on words. I won't even waste them on asking you to talk, not so soon. Though, if you feel like giving up, feel free to tell me at any time, Yakushi." The fist hit the side of his face hard enough to split his lips, the blow that followed striking his gut, right where they had hit him before. Kabuto coughed again, and the men released him as the back of Ibiki's hand struck the other side of his face this time, half-turning Kabuto's body as he fell to the ground, coughing. He curled up, but the torture master's boot struck his ribs firmly, and he swore he felt at least one of them crack. Pressed on his shoulder with his foot, putting most of his weight on it. Kabuto's mouth opened in a harsh gasp, voice temporarily stolen with pain. "Ahh, I see...Tie him up!" Ibiki ordered, his voice changing suddenly from casual to threatening.

The men lifted Kabuto again, releasing his hands from behind him, tying them instead to a hook on the ceiling, which was quickly hoisted up until the medic's toes barely touched the ground. He cried out as his own weight pulled on his shoulder, and Ibiki smirked. The tall man reached up to grasp the pre-wounded shoulder, squeezing it tightly. Kabuto grit his teeth hard,

"_Nnnn_!!" Growled in pain, unwilling to cry out again.

"Boys...strip him. This pathetic excuse for a ninja doesn't have the _right _to wear clothing." The torture master said, stepping back and crossing his arms. He stood in front of the bound medic, watching as his men ripped and cut away every stitch of clothing that Kabuto was wearing. Through it all, Kabuto retained a placid expression, wincing whenever something was pulled too hard, putting more pressure onto his injured shoulder. Kabuto's skin prickled in the chilly room, and he shivered slightly when he was fully exposed, breath a little faster now. Ibiki smirked as he walked around behind him again, eyes raking the medic's already somewhat bruised body. He gave a low whistle, and though it made Kabuto's stomach twist, he smirked.

"Like what you see, Morino-san...?" He coughed, "Am I still the quiet child, standing with my father?" His tone was flippant. Ibiki chuckled, reaching up to run his fingers over the large bruise on Kabuto's shoulder.

"No, Yakushi, you're not. I saw intelligence in that boys eyes... but I guess I was wrong. Smart boys don't get caught in their own explosions, do they?" He asked, and Kabuto was silent again. "I thought not." He said, stepping back. "We'll start with the basics. Bring me my whip." He said, holding out his hand. The twelve foot bull-whip was placed into it quickly, and he snapped it once, so close the Kabuto felt the wind from it on his side. He gave a shudder, finding his voice.

"_Mmm, _do it, Morino-san..." He whispered, nearly a purr. Lip twitching in irritance, Ibiki laid the first strike. The bite of the whip left a bright red line, welt rising at once, from Kabuto's left shoulder blade to his lower back. Muscles flexing for just an instant, Kabuto cried out–though his voice was light. Twitching again, he laid another. He continued like this, striking with merely seconds between each one, and about every other lash earned him a short cry from the medic's stretched body. Never did he leave the muscles of his back tensed, and never did he give a cry that sounded quite like pain. No... he was being mocked. Even as the welts overlaid, and beads of red blood welled up to run down the medic's once flawless back in small rivets, Kabuto maintained his breathy tonePausing for a moment, Ibiki wiped the sweat from his brow. Gakyu growled, stepping up to grasp the back of Kabuto's hair and pulling it back hard, earning a groan as it pulled on his sore shoulder.

"The snake's bitch _likes _it, Ibiki-taichou." He said with disgust, but Ibiki merely grunted.

"Idiot. You really do know nothing..." The torture master sighed, glancing to his wall of instruments. "He's keeping the air from his lungs so that he doesn't give us the pleasure of hearing him scream. You'll also note the fact that: he's not hard, you fool. This is just as painful to him, but you're a smart boy, aren't you Yakushi? You think that you can make us give in by exasperating us?" A dark chuckle. "Everyone, grab a cane."

Kabuto swallowed slowly, closing his eyes as the men moved to do as told. The rattan rods were thin, not much more than the span of two slender fingers, and the length of each was a good four feet. Someone swung one of them, the sharp swish almost painful just to _hear. _The medic's heartbeat raced, and he tried to keep his body from squirming. The first blow fell across the backs of his thighs, the second falling only a split second later on the front of them, the third and fourth falling together on his chest and his whip-marked back. Arching again, Kabuto couldn't keep his voice controlled this time, and he cried out loudly–his voice a high arc of pain that echoed off of the walls.

The blows fell repeatedly, within split seconds of each other, striping the medic's skin with white welts that all too quickly became angry red ones. His slender body jerked with some of them, coughing as one fell smack onto his gut. Tears that had risen from the whipping finally fell, slipping down his flushed cheeks, salty, and very bitter. From chest and shoulders to both knees, they covered him with the unbearably stinging strikes. Kabuto's tears became sobs, his body writhing in helpless attempts to escape the punishing blows that fell mercilessly upon his skin. Ibiki called to stop at last, and though all men stopped as told, it still felt as if the blows were being made upon his once tender skin. The rods that had struck his back and thighs were both covered in blood, which was still slowly trickling down his back from the whip lashes, irritating every welt it found along the way. The medic was trembling now, his breathing ragged as he fought to regain control of himself.

"I think this is the perfect mark for a traitor." Ibiki's dark voice spoke, pressing the object into Kabuto's lower back. It was cold–_freezing _cold–but then the truth reached his nose before his mind could understand the pain. It wasn't cold, it was _hot. _Kabuto's piercing scream filled the room as his body arched again, as taunt as he could go, paying absolutely no mind to his shoulder past the scent of burning flesh invading his senses, and the excruciating pain on his lower back. A brand! Such dizziness assaulted him that his breath caught in his chest, and darkness closed in swiftly.

All too soon he woke again, icy water dripping from his hair and down his feverish body to bring the chill of the room back to him all too well. Even with his imperfect vision, he could make out the still glowing brand that Ibiki held. A leaf. Damn them! Damn them all to the nine hells! If he didn't heal that brand...! But no, he couldn't heal it, even thought he knew that it would scar. Closing his eyes tightly, he turned his head to the side, fighting tears again. It wasn't fair! He had never betrayed Konoha. He had never been part of them to betray them!

"I think I'll ask now." Ibiki said, and he walked around in front of the medic, tilting his chin up. "What do you think, Yakushi?" He asked. Kabuto smiled, licking his split lips with a dash of his pink tongue.

"Do you know... w-what I don't understand... Morino-san?"

"That's that?"

"W-when you want some...one to... talk..." Kabuto's body shuddered, stealing his breath for a moment. "...You torture them... and for reasons... they believe in, they... keep silent..." He voice caught in his throat, ad he coughed hard. The movement sent his whole body a fresh wave of pain, and he groaned through clenched teeth. "_You piss them off_." He spit acidly, and Ibiki shook his head.

"Was that an answer?"

"Go to hell, you–" He was stopped by the older ninja's backhand once again, the strike causing him to move his head to the side violently. He groaned again, feeling dizzy. Ibiki withdrew a long, very fine, very _sharp _knife from his pouch, running it along his thumb.

"Just as I thought... but I _had _hoped that it wouldn't come to this...Do you know what _flaying _is, Kabuto...?" Ibiki asked, a twisted grin on his scarred face.

"Skinning." The medic answered firmly, as if he was fearless. But Ibiki saw the truth in his eyes, the deep seated fear that rest there. Against his better judgement, against all of his previous accomplishments, for an _instant... _Ibiki doubted his ability to make someone talk. Whether he was just insane, or insanely loyal, the medic truly seemed to be willing to endure anything without speaking.

Impossible.

"That's right... it's skinning. And the way I do it..." The knife cut into Kabuto's welted skin, on his side, just above his hip. It was just deep enough to pass the epidermis, the first layer. The medic clenched his jaw.

"_Hnn_!!" Kabuto tensed, breath escalating once again.

"I do it... _slowly..._" He said, drawing the second, and then the third. "And it just _peels _right off, square inch by square.." There was a loud knock on the heavy metal door, and Ibiki froze just as he was about to cut the fourth line. Frowning, he motioned to Gakyu to answer it, which the other did promptly. He spoke for a moment with the person outside, turning back around with an unreadable look on his face.

"Sir... Someone is here to talk with you. He says its urgent."

"Tell him to go away, I'm busy." The knife went in again, and Kabuto closed his eyes, head falling back as he gave a high-pitched whine. He couldn't help it.

"It's Hatake Kakashi..." All eyes turned to Gakyu.

/_Kakashi??/_

Silence prevailed for a few tense moments, the only sound that of Kabuto's labored breathing, accompanied sometimes by his small groans.

"...Alright. I'll see him." Ibiki said at last, and Kabuto very nearly gave a sob of relief. The knife pulled out of his skin, and the entire wound throbbed, like his back throbbed–like every welt on his body throbbed. Kabuto was in pain; so much that he almost wished he could will himself to die.

He would _not_ speak. He would die like this, if he had to. He didn't even bother thinking of why. It was just what he had decided to do. Ibiki was giving the others orders, but he barely heard them. When he was dropped suddenly to his feet, he collapsed onto the floor. His skin was hot and feverish, and the cold stone felt _so _good... He closed his eyes just as the hands grabbed a hold of him, lifting him. A weak sound of protest was all that escaped him this time, as his shoulder was stretched, his welts touched. They had to drag him out of the room, and down the hall to his cell. He supposed he was supposed to feel some semblance of shame, but right now, he could give a damn that he was nude. One of them opened the door, and the other two tossed the medic's battered body inside, causing Kabuto to half-land onto his comrade Jaetou. Keita began to cry loudly, as Jaetou tried to use his shoulder to help Kabuto sit up. The other ninja was badly injured as well, it seemed. They must have taken him while the others took Kabuto. Cheeks pressed together, they whispered as the door closed.

"Is it possible?"

"No." Kabuto answered.

"Can you...?" Jaetou asked.

"...Yes."

"He won't last."

"Not a second." Kabuto agreed.

"...You or me?"

"I'll get it done quicker, if I use it. Watch the door."

"Yes, sir." The older ninja moved away, hands tied in front of him, just as Kabuto's were. He made it to the door, sitting against it and pressing with his feet. Keita whimpered again, and Kabuto closed his eyes. Healing came to him naturally, and it was in truth Kabuto's one greatest skill. Welts faded away, the cut vanished, and best of all–that awful brand healed. His shoulder was still a little sore, but he could move it without the crushing pain anymore. He crawled over to Keita, who cowered away from him, tears running down his youthful face. Kabuto smiled.

"Keita-kun... What's wrong?"

"I know what you're doing! You left me back there in the lab! You're going to let me die...!" The brunette shouted, and Kabuto suddenly glared.

"You'll talk, Keita. I can't let you do that." He said firmly, and Keita's eyes widened. He moved suddenly, trying to crawl away, but Kabuto was on his back in an instant. Wrapped his arm around the younger ninja's neck, pulling back tightly as the other struggled beneath him.

"No! Please...! K-Kabu-to..sensei...!" He coughed, his body writhing frantically under the medic's. Kabuto closed his eyes, blocking his ears to the pleas. It had to be done.

"What's going on?!" One of the men from outside demanded, trying to open the door and finding it blocked by Jaetou, who was digging his heels into the ground as they tried to push it open.

"Ka-Kabuto...sen...!"He was coughing again, choking now. His body began to fight less and less, as the door was opening more and more. Finally, he went still. No sooner than he did that the door burst open, filling the room with ninja. They lifted Kabuto from atop Keita, throwing him against the wall as they knelt to check him, others holding Jaetou down.

"...He's dead." One of them announced. Kabuto smiled, and looked up. Ibiki stood in the doorway, glaring, and beside him...

Hatake Kakashi... Kabuto's smile vanished, witnessing the expression on the Jounin's face. It was a very strange look, almost... sadness. Suddenly, Kabuto felt a bit ashamed of his nakedness, and he turned his body away from the Jounin's piercing expression. They took Keita's body with them when they left, and the took Jaetou as well. No more cells together for them. Still, something bothered Kabuto.

He knew very well that this was against the rules, they had decided it. He didn't expect anything from him–he didn't _need _anything... So why the hell was he here?


	2. Endurance

A/N: I'm really glad that tells me when people put me on alert or anything ; I appreciate being watched of course, but reviews do well to encourage me to write faster! And you want that, right? Right? -Hopeful look- Warnings are obvious, violence, and non-con as well.

Chapter 2 - Endurance

Kakashi and Ibiki had been in the same small office for over an hour now, speaking quietly. It was a very sensitive matter that the silver-haired Jounin really would rather not leak, and Ibiki took his time to process this. The scarred head of interrogation sat in his chair behind his large desk, eyes steady on the lean male that stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"So, let me get this straight..." He said slowly, and Kakashi sighed, averting his dark eye.

"It's just as I told you."

"...What do you want _me _to do about this? I'm not your keeper, and I can't stop all of this."

"I don't expect you to, Ibiki. I just want to see if I can convince him to talk; that's it. If I can than I've saved you hours of useless torture." Kakashi explained, glancing back to the scarred man. Ibiki scoffed.

"Useless? It wasn't useless before you interrupted us. I would have had him squealing every secret in the world in under another hour." He said with a confident smirk. Kakashi shook his head.

"Whether or not I agree with you in not important. Just let me try."

"Kakashi..."

"Ibiki. _Please_." His voice was so sincere that the torture master almost winced. They stared at one another for a silent moment that seemed to stretch on, before Ibiki gave a heavy sigh.

"...Meet me in room seventeen, in two hours." He said, and Kakashi gave a nod of his head. He couldn't ask for any more, of course. This was no ordinary prisoner, and no ordinary situation here. Sitting back in his chair as Kakashi stood up from the wall to leave, Ibiki devised how to use this new information to his advantage...

- - - - - - - - -

Now, some people might think that being able to sleep in such a situation as he was in was completely insane, but Kabuto knew better. He knew first hand that fatigue and exhaustion led to weakness, and weakness led to two things: talking, or the type of insanity that could only be brought on by force of will and the desire to escape. Now, the medic wanted neither of these things for himself, and so, he slept. It wasn't particularly fitful rest, of course. The ground was solid, cold stone and the air was no less chilly on his naked flesh–but he was healed for the most part, and that made things easier. Dark eyes snapped open as he heard the footsteps stop in front of his room, sitting up and leaning against the wall. He winced, nearly closing his eyes as the door opened, shedding the room in light.

"...I knew you'd miss me sooner or later. Any luck with Jaetou-kun?" The medic asked, his voice a tired drawl. Ibiki gave a darkly humored smile.

"Would you believe me if I said yes?" He asked, and Kabuto returned his dark smile silently. The men came forward, lifting him by his arms. Kabuto contemplated walking on his own, but he feared that would give his tormentors too much insight as to how healthy he currently was, and so he allowed them to half-drag him down the hallway. Untying his hands, they none to gently tossed him onto the bare floor of the new room. Hands out to catch himself, be didn't get a change to move before Ibiki's heavy boot heel came down on his right hand, earning a shocked grunt of pain from the medic as he winced. "...A medic's tools of trade are his hands, like any ninja..." The torture master said gruffly, grinding his heel down, hard.

"Agh...nnn!" Kabuto closed his eyes, stubbornly. His free hand curled into the floor, refusing to move it. It would be futile, with likely painful results if he tried to stop Ibiki now. Even untied, two men stood outside the door, and there were two others in the room besides Ibiki and his self. Futile. His hair covered his face as he hung his head, having lifted to his hands and knees. One of the other men, Kabuto believed he remembered the scrawny man as being called Gakyu, kicked him in the stomach, and her nearly folded up, coughing. Arms shaking, he stayed up as the man grabbed a handful of hair at the base of his neck, lifting his head.

"Don't try going somewhere inside that mind of yours, bitch. We need you to stay right here with us." He hissed. The passive expression that Kabuto gave him in return seemed to infuriate him, and he backhanded the medic, still gripping his hair so that his face could not turn. Blood slipped from the corner of the silver-haired ninja's lip, and he smiled as he licked it.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Did you do something?" Kabuto asked, and Gakyu nearly shuddered with rage, face red. He whipped a knife from his holster, pressing the blade to Kabuto's cheek. The sharp tip dug in just below his cheekbone.

"I'll cut that cock-sucking face of yours right off, you arrogant–!"

"Gakyu. Enough." Ibiki said calmly, and the smaller man clenched his jaw. Slowly, very slowly, he put the knife away. The cut on his cheek stung, but it wasn't too bad, and the medic was able to keep his expression placid. "Give it to him." The scarred man nodded to one of the other men in the room. Kabuto tried to turn his head, but Gakyu made sure that it was impossible. He snickered.

"Nervous? You should be. This is going to have you crying like a baby before we even touch you." He said smugly, and Kabuto tried to wrap his mind around this. He understood just before the needle entered his thigh, and he merely twitched his lip, jaw clenched. Drugs. All hands left him, and Ibiki stepped off of his hand.

"Chain him."He ordered, and the men lifted him again. They brought him to the back wall of the room, lifting his arms above his head and securing them in the cold iron shackles waiting there. Kabuto shivered as he heard them close shut, and the chains rattled as he stood on his own, just barely. What was...? "You look good like that, Yakushi." Ibiki commented, running a calloused hand down from Kabuto's shoulder blade, to his ass. The medic was shocked at the surprisingly approving touch, and he squirmed a bit in revulsion. What in the world? His breathing increased just a little, and he found himself feeling rather anxious all of the sudden–and it was not in a good way. "You're a little cold... I think we should warm you up before we get started." He said, holding out his hand. One of the men placed a long, thick leather strap in his hands, and Gakyu took up the other one. Kabuto caught sight of them from a glance over his shoulder and he shuddered again. What was he feeling so afraid of? He had gone through much worse than those...

The first lash hit the backs of his thighs, and he gripped the chains holding him up for support as he tensed, gritting his teeth. Unlike a whip or canes, the straps created a dull _thwack _that felt a lot like blunt force, but carried with them all of the sting of a whip-lash. The second lash fell just a second afterwards, striking across the middle of his ass. He jerked in response but the next had already fallen, at the most sensitive area, the tops of his thighs and lowest past of his ass. He gave a startled yelp, but again another fell. Gritting his teeth tightly, he closed his eyes and tried to calm down. They'd only just begun, and his heart was racing wildly. The medic felt not unlike a trapped animal when face-to-face with a fearsome predator–panicked and irrational. The drugs. They seemed to have produced an akathesiac effect on him. The pain–any pain, he wanted it to stop–_now_! But he bit his lower lip, drawing blood as he fought not to let the sounds of pain leave his throat. He only allowed the simplest grunts or groans free, and even those he was not happy with.

If he screamed now, he just might never stop. He just might give in to the pain, the fatigue, and the general panic that was setting in, if he slipped now. This was what he had been trying to avoid! And here he was, in near top condition, about to give in from a simple lashing!? Disgusted with himself, Kabuto tried to let anger take over. "Mm!" He grunted, when another well-placed lash struck his upper thighs. "Ss..! Ah! N-na...!" He couldn't control his body properly, wanting to stay still and untense as possible, but all it wanted to do was escape the punishing blows, writhing under them helplessly, only pressing into the cold stone wall in effect. Somehow, he managed to keep from begging them until the lashing stopped. He whimpered, panting heavily, eyes filled with tears that he refused to let fall.

The world had gone away from him until all that was left was this burning, stinging pain, and this cold, unforgiving wall in front of him. The cut on his face felt like it was on fire, stinging from the sweat that had begun to slide down his face. Ibiki dropped the lash that he held, stepping up to touch one cherry-red cheek. Kabuto winced, giving a slight whimper as he grasped it, trying to move his hips to escape the hand. "Nice and hot... This is much better..." He let go, and before Kabuto could breathe a sigh of relief, he felt something much worse. Two thick fingers entered his unprepared body swiftly, and he cried out in shock, trying to arch his body away from them unsuccessfully.

Ibiki's fingers were calloused and rough, and they probed him none-to-gently as the older man grunted. "Looks like it's going to be a tight fit..." He said, drawing snickers from Gakyu and the others. Kabuto could swear that he felt his heart stop, dread settling into the pit of his stomach as a wave of paralyzing fear swept over him. Oh gods, he meant to...!

"Don't you...!" Kabuto's voice froze in his throat, closing up, eyes wide. Had he just...? Oh gods, he had just done the one thing not to do... He let them know that he was afraid of something. Of course, with this drug in his veins right now, he was probably afraid of everything under the sun. Ibiki chuckled again, and removed his fingers. He could hear the tall man loosening his pants, and he closed his eyes tightly, resisting the urge to glance over his shoulder. He did _not _want to see what was about to be shoved into him, or he might really panic. Ibiki reached up to gather Kabuto's long silver hair tightly into his fist, tilting his head to the side and leaning down to speak directly into his ear.

"Kakashi told me how much you like this..." He hissed, and the medic felt the last of his walls breaking. Kakashi... Kakashi had told this man _what_? Kabuto gave a low whine, feeling his tears welling back up, from utter loss. Loss of everything.

His master had probably given up on him, Kakashi, whom the medic had _not _been relying on had done more than _not _help him, he had helped _them _to find a way to hurt him, and lastly, Ibiki was not going to relent any time soon. Kabuto was alone, and more helpless than ever before in his life. And he was _terrified _of this, and _angry _for his mind traveling this dark path because of the drug... Ibiki chuckled.

"That's right... Don't even try to deny it..." His broad, wet tongue slipped out to lick the side of Kabuto's neck, who gave a sound of disgust. His hands clenched the chains so tightly that they hurt, and he tried to keep from shuddering in revulsion. He did _not _want this, he didn't want to be touched in this way _at all _by this man! He could feel the scarred man fumbling with himself behind him, and that feeling in the pit of his gut rose to his throat. He felt he was going to be sick, but he didn't have anything to get rid of in his stomach to do it. The torture master kicked his legs apart with his boot, nearly causing the medic to lose his footing. "Get ready, _slut._" Ibiki grunted, before he shoved the length of him inside of the tense and resistant body. Kabuto's mouth fell open in a scream, one that was shrill and pain-filled as he felt the generously sized member enter his dry and unprepared passage.

He knew that he should have relaxed. He knew that he should have accepted the shame, and forced his body to remain passive, and it would not hurt as much. But the drugs made it impossible for him to do so, forcing him to constantly squirm and writhe to escape, shuddering in fear. Ibiki grunted, his hot breath falling over Kabuto's face and neck. "Ohh... you're deliciously tight..." Another dark chuckle. "Kakashi was right..." He pulled back, thrusting in again, without mercy. Tears spilled over tightly closed eyes, racing down his dirty cheeks to create clean paths as he sobbed.

This was hell. His own private hell of pain and humiliation. And damn them for drugging him! He couldn't stop his tears, or his own building sense of dread and fear, and he certainly couldn't silence his own desperate screams of pain as the torture master ripped away the last shreds of pride he had with each and every thrust. He felt the blood on his thighs, and it made him sick. With every bit of resolve he had left, he clenched his jaws tightly together, so that now he could only groan miserably instead of scream. It was the least that he could do. That, and endure this disgraceful torture until Ibiki was through with him. Unfortunately for him, the scarred man had rather good stamina. Ibiki leaned down again, amidst his own short, almost animalistic grunts of pleasure.

"Tell me... how Kakashi fucks you... and I'll stop." He ground out, and Kabuto opened his eyes. He turned his head to give the man a defiant glare, even as his tears continued to slip down his flushed cheeks. Ibiki gave a few particularly hard thrusts, and the medic lost his composure, crying out once more before he caught himself again.

"Don't forget his master." Gakyu chimed in from the side, giving a dark laugh. Kabuto wished that pure force of will could kill someone, right now.

"Ahh, that's right...!" Ibiki groaned, holding on to Kabuto's hip so that he could go deeper, pressing his chest against the younger ninja's back so that the rough wall scraped at his chest with every short jerking motion that he made. "Tell me, how they fuck you... and I'll stop." He let go of his hip, brining his hand back to smack Kabuto's ass, square on one red, sore cheek. The medic's face grimaced in pain again, and he whimpered. "That's right..." The torture master chuckled, breathlessly.

"T-they..." Kabuto closed his eyes, hating himself for a moment. He found his spark of resolve, somehow. When he opened his eyes, they were narrowed in a spiteful way, as he grinned, though the motion hurt his split lips and cut cheek. "They're... better than you... could ever be!" He growled, and Ibiki smirked. He was much to good to lose his head over petty insults.

"Hah!" He cried, letting go of Kabuto's hair to jerk back on his hips with both hands. The medic's hands were torn from his grip on the chains, and the metal of the cuffs bit into the tender skin of his wrists as they were pulled on. Uncut cheek pressed to the wall, Kabuto's forearms kept it from being smashed against it with every thrust, being given with a renewed vigor. Blood flowed, hot and sticky, down Kabuto's pale white thighs again. He allowed himself to cry out again, satisfied that he had snapped back. Just as Ibiki groaned loudly and the medic felt his large body shudder in release, the door opened–though the medic didn't notice at first. When Ibiki pulled back, Kabuto gave another high groan of pain, reaching back up to grab the chains, helping his trembling legs support him.

"Ah, Kakashi." Ibiki said, taking the rag offered to him by one of his men. Kabuto's uneven breath stopped, and his whole body froze.

- - - - - - - - -

Kakashi's dark eye took in the situation all at once, and he felt something in his chest twinge. Kabuto had frozen the moment that he heard Ibiki call to him, but the Jounin could see clearly how his shoulders and legs shook. And the evidence was right there, running down the inside of his smooth, perfect thighs. Red, and a little white.

"...Ibiki–" Kakashi began to ask, his voice dark, wanting an explaination for this. The torture master cut him off, smirking,

"Which one of you is next?" He asked, eyes moving to the men now standing around. All eyes went to Kakashi, who was seething.

"What are you doing, Ibiki?" He asked, when no one stepped forward. Kabuto's harsh breathing returned, and he pulled himself to stand upright, his face to the wall. His body was trembling faintly, and Kakashi could tell it was the effects of drugs, instead of exhaustion. The torture master merely smiled.

"What does it look like, Kakashi? I'm torturing my prisoner. Normal torture doesn't work on this one so well, so I decided to try something new. Besides, I think you could learn something from this..."

"Don't you dare lecture me! I knew what I was doing!" The Jounin argued, fists clenched. Gakyu got tired of waiting for his superiors to finish arguing, and he moved towards Kabuto suddenly. Kakashi moved to step forward, but Ibiki held up his hand. Gakyu grabbed a fistful of hair as his captain had done, pressing Kabuto's face to the wall as he pulled his hips back with one hand. The medic tensed, but at the moment he seemed to out of it to do much more than give a groan of protest. Kakashi averted his gaze as Gakyu thrust in, swallowing hard when Kabuto gave a cry of anguish. Ibiki's face was placid as he stared at Kakashi, both of them listening to the sounds of the dark-haired ninja's grunts and groans, accompanied by Kabuto's forced ones now and then, as the chains that he was holding onto rattled. Did he even know that Kakashi was here anymore...?

He _had _known, and that was all that mattered. He had been sound of mind enough to acknowledge the Jounin's presence before he slipped into his private, drug induced hell. "You can't save him, Kakashi. This is what you get when you fuck the enemy... Nothing but disappointment and pain. He's loyal to that Sannin master of his."

"_Stop..._" The voice came from behind Ibiki, and he turned his head somewhat. Kabuto was crying again, he couldn't stop. "Go..._Get out!_" He snapped, and then cried out as Gakyu thrust harder into him, chuckling.

"I don't think... he likes you anymore... Hatake-san." He panted out. Kakashi winced, averting his eyes. Ibiki was right. There was nothing that he could do... He was loyal to his own village, Konoha... and Kabuto was an enemy of that village. All too soon, the dark-haired ninja gave a groan, emptying into the medic as he thrust hard into him, small groans of pleasure issuing from his throat. He smirked as he accepted the came towel that his captain had used, wiping himself off and adjusting his pants.

- - - - - - - - -

Kabuto pulled with all of his strength on the chains, arms trembling with the effort, to stand upright. His legs continued to tremble faintly, and his face itched with drying tears and blood. Licked his lips slowly, thought his mouth was dry, and they tasted of nothing but blood and sweat. Kakashi was still here... He glanced over his shoulder. Kakashi that had betrayed him, and told their secret. "A-are you... satisfied?" He asked Ibiki directly. The torture master crossed his arms, curious. "You both..._suck..._" The medic whispered, almost a purr. Gakyu grabbed his hair again, slamming his face against the wall.

"What was that, you arrogant _slut? _You want it again?!" He growled. Kabuto closed his eyes for a moment, breath hitching. No, no, don't panic... you're doing so well... don't panic! Opened them again, searching out Kakashi.

"W-why don't you... show them... how it's done? Mmm...? Kak..._Kakashi_..."

"Tch! The bitch wants more..." Gakyu said in disgust, letting go. Kakashi couldn't look at him, and Kabuto laughed, though it was so very painful to.

"None of you... compare to _him... none of you..._" He said acidly, glaring at the silver-haired Jounin in particular.

"You'll die for him?" Kakashi asked, looking up at last. Kabuto lifted his head, as much as he could. "You'll suffer like this, in this hole... and die in the dark for a master who's already replaced you?"

"Mm, _yess..._" Kabuto hissed, his body giving a shudder that nearly stole his feet from under him. He didn't explain, and The Jounin didn't bother asking.

"No one's going to stop this. No one." He tried, and Kabuto nodded. Frustrated, Kakashi turned on his heel, heading for the door. Just as he set his hand on it, Kabuto's voice reached him.

"I don't regret it." He said, clearly enough. Kakashi stayed frozen for a long moment before he opened the door, and then he was gone. The medic's renewed screams followed him down the halls as he left, and he couldn't bear to think of what they were doing to him now.


	3. Bittersweet Release

A/N: There's two things in here for DominicShade from Y!gal. Hehe. See? I do requests if they fit in. I could have ended it in this chapter, but I decided to keep it going a little longer.

Chapter 3: Bittersweet Release

It must have been hours. Not only that it _felt _like hours, which it always did when one's body was subject to so much abuse, but time had certainly passed. Kabuto came to this conclusion when he felt his moods and thoughts begin to stabilize. The effects of the medicine were waning, and the medic finally stopped shuddering in fear at each new method they tried on him. Now he was only tired and in terrible pain–oh so _very _sore in every which way that a body could be sore. Everything that touched him caressed a new or old lash, bruise, cut, or even burn. Ibiki had held nothing back this time.

Even Kabuto's gorgeous silver hair was tangled and tainted in most places with freshly dried blood. They would have cut it if it had not been such a good handle. Discovering the stubborn medic's distaste for anything sexual, they had used that to their advantage for a while, every which way that they could–without having the guts to actually put anything important of theirs anywhere near his mouth. No amount of threatened pain could have stopped him from taking out the last of his revenge by biting off an offending organ. When it seemed that no amount of humiliation–and pain could force him into submission, they'd perused more by-the-book methods. Each time that Kabuto seemed at his mind's end, they had changed tactic suddenly. Tender words of release and comfort had passed their dry lips, petting him soothingly as they promised him things like forgiveness, and an end to his pain.

"Tell me one secret, and I will kill you now, Kabuto." Ibiki had promised softly at one point. He stroked Kabuto's sweat and blood dampened hair, lips brushing his ear gently. "I'll end it all for you, for just one..." It was these times that were the hardest to resist. He could have told them anything. He could have lied. But no, Ibiki would have known. Wouldn't he? But then, Kabuto would remember all that they had done to him. He'd spit blood into the scarred torture master's face. Blood that the man himself had made run, from a punch that had cut the inside of the medic's lip. You reap what you sow.

You reap what you sow.

Wasn't that true for all of them? Kabuto who was a spy, and they who tried to torture secrets out of him. It was all cause and effect. They were all merely doing what they were supposed to. Living for a purpose, one that they had given themselves or accepted. His identity was that of the servant, and _no one _could take that away from him, try as they might. The only man that had come close to impressing upon him that he was more than a servant, but a man, had given up hope for him. That naive man. He hadn't learned from his father's mistake. You had to play by the rules, no matter the loss, to be accepted.

Still, secretly... Kabuto thanked any god that would listen, that Kakashi hadn't stayed. If it had been Kakashi to whisper sweet words of promise into his ear, he didn't know what he would have done.

Instead of fear, the medic had conditioned himself to feel hate and anger. It was hard, when he was starring right at the next implement of pain that they had chosen to inflict upon him. So much that he had trembled like a naked, dry leaf in the cold wind, not unlike the cold knot in his stomach that never left him. Each time that he lost consciousness, a cold splash of water brought him back around. And the rare few times that water hadn't been enough, they'd used more potent methods, like ammonium carbonate, which burned his nose and smoldered in his lungs. He was not allowed even a moments reprieve from the seemingly eternal hell that he had been placed in. When finally Kabuto could not even scream, his throat so sore and his body so exhausted, Ibiki had chosen to stop.

- - - - - - - - -

Kabuto's vision was blurry to begin with, but he could barely keep them open by now even if he had _wanted _to see anything. Even the hands on his upper arms, hauling him up to drag him out of the room were painful. His legs, which were refusing to aid him in walking, they hurt even though it was probably more painful to rest all of his weight onto his arms and shoulders as he was. When the bright light of the hallway hit his sensitive eyes that had become accustomed to the dim light, he winced and closed them tightly.

Voices filtered at the edge of his awareness. Bits and pieces of dialogue that were not directed towards him. Ibiki had stopped to speak to one of the men behind them, something about someone there for him. Kabuto half-opened his eyes, but he couldn't make out any faces in front of him. It was a group, heading towards them. More dark uniforms of the torture masters, and a prisoner between them. A prisoner...

"Kabuto-sensei!" A familiar voice gasped, and confirmed his fears. They were taking Jaetou to his next session. Forced his eyes to focus as they drew closer, and Jaetou's captors were struggling with holding the strong ninja back. Jaetou's voice was pained as he called for Kabuto again, and he wondered why that was. Was he feeling sorry for the medic, horrified at what they had done to him? When they were a mere five feet away, Kabuto's captors stopped. One hand grabbed his hair again, lifting his head.

"Do you see this, you Oto bastard? _This _is what you're looking forward to." Gakyu chuckled darkly. "The snake's bitch is _our _bitch now, and you will be too." He went on, and Kabuto didn't bother to correct the man. Let them believe that. His eyes were on Jaetou, and his comrade's on his. The larger ninja was not in much better shape than he was, as his first session had not been interrupted as Kabuto's had. And then of course, Kabuto had healed. Jaetou looked tired, and his eyes, they were desperate.

"No..." Kabuto whispered.

"Kabuto-sensei..." The other pleaded in response. _Damn it. _He couldn't be serious... The medic's eyes watered, and Gakyu laughed. Kabuto couldn't do it, it was impossible! He couldn't do this... and yet he was calling up the chakara even as he thought that. Terrible thoughts of pain and anguish filled his head all over again as he did, and just as Ibiki glanced over, seeming to notice that the groups had stopped, it was too late.

"What are you doing, idiots! Get them away from–!!" He shouted just as Kabuto lunged.

His blue-lined hand struck Jaetou's chest hard, and the other man merely winced. Pulling them apart, each was thrown against the opposite sides of the hallway's wall. The large ninja coughed, and blood spilled over his lips as he sank down against it, his smile nearly delirious.

"Get a medic!" Ibiki shouted, rushing over. Kabuto coughed as well, but his was only blood from his split lips, and lost air from hitting the wall. Kabuto's injuries had been cut to half by the amount of healing that he had been forced to use to pull this off. As the ninja around them scrambled about, he glanced across to Jaetou. The man was smiling, though he coughed violently. Lucky... _bastard_. As the light faded from his eyes, he mouthed to his comrade, blood covering his chin and running down his neck.

'Thank you.'

/_How nice for you, you cruel bastard./ _Kabuto thought. /_An end to your nightmare, your hell... and in return, I am in even better shape for them, again. You weren't going to talk, Jaetou... I know you. Still... you are welcome._/ Though he was dizzy from the use of chakara mixed with so much fatigue, he felt better. Which was unfortunate for him.

"Damn it!" Ibiki shouted, the only time that Kabuto had seen him lose his temper so far. His fist smashed into Gakyu's jaw with a sickening crunch, felling the irritating man. The medic would have smiled, if he had not known which way Ibiki was going to look next. Sure enough, his eyes settled on Kabuto. He did smile then, though by now his mind screamed at him not to. Never before had the ex-spy had trouble smiling at someone. Ibiki grabbed the back of Kabuto's hair, kneeling as he hauled the younger man over his bent knee. Holding him there by use of his hair, Kabuto gasped in shock when he felt the first smack land on the sore flesh of his upturned backside. Whimpering, he squirmed as he received the next few, each smack turning his already pink skin white, and then deepening the color.

What in the world..?! Kabuto had expected retaliation, but he had not expected this! Chastised like an errant child in front of the group of men that had gathered to observe the commotion. His face burned with a flush that was as dark as his ass right now, tears slipping from his eyes as the blows continued. Ten, twenty, twenty five... Some of them men allowed themselves to snicker, and Kabuto heard them all too clearly. Fists clenched as he buried his face into his arms, but he couldn't hide his obvious shame. Each blow did more damage to him, to his pride, than the sting of the lash, the cut from the knife, a burn from an iron, or any number of instruments that they had used to inflict pain on his worn body. Only the physical rape had been this heard to bear, and that was only because of the drug, and Kakashi's presence. When Ibiki did finally stop, Kabuto ached all over again. Both his burning backside, and his abused and tired body from being held in such an awkward position. The older man stood suddenly, and Kabuto fell gracelessly to the floor. He groaned, curling up as much as he could. Ibiki smirked. Perhaps _now _he was on to something.

"Take that worthless excuse for a ninja to his cell, and let him sit, but secure his hands above his head. And get rid of him." He nodded towards Jaetou. "I have someone waiting for me in my office. I'll be back in a few hours."

- - - - - - - - -

Ibiki was pissed as hell that one prisoner was dead, this much was true, but he was also optimistic about breaking the remaining one. He had gotten close today, he knew it. Perhaps after a few hours rest he would start up again, with a fresh team. Kakashi was wrong, Kabuto would talk. No matter what it took, the torture master was _not _going to give up on this one. His resolve was almost touching, though. Killing his teammate and healing himself to do so... Even Ibiki admitted that it was admirable. That didn't change the fact that Kabuto was an enemy of his village. In times of war, many valiant hero's had perished at the hands of interrogators. And Kabuto was neither of those things. Just as underhanded as his master, the medic had killed many of his comrades before he left Konoha, and had even come close to killing Kakashi's student, Naruto. Why then, was the naïve Jounin so intent on giving him any help at all? Something about ninja being human as well.

Well, ninjas could be human all they wanted to, away from Ibiki and this village. The boy was an enemy.

Opening the door to his office, Ibiki was not prepared to duck properly from the object that came flying his way. His arm came up to let the book hit his arm and fall heavily to the floor. He met the dark eyes glaring back at him, confused. "Iruka, what..?"

"Tell me where in that book of yours does it say that sexually assaulting another person while in a stable relationship is _not _cheating!" The shorter one, currently sitting on his desk with his legs crossed, fumed.

"Cheat...Wait, what? Did Kakashi talk to you?"

"You bet he did, you bastard! I can't believe you would actually do something like that! I mean, not only is that a terrible, awful thing to do to someone, but it was _cheating _Ibiki!" Iruka ranted, both of his hands behind him on the desk, his face flushed he was so angry. Ibiki bent down to pick up his book, approaching the desk slowly.

"Iruka, I've told you, this is work..." He led off then the younger ninja hopped off of the desk, stalking over to his much taller lover. He pointed his finger, waving it dangerously close to Ibiki's face.

"If you say that _one more time, _I'm going to track down some of my better students and do a little 'checking up'!" Iruka said, one hand on his hip. "Sex has no place in anything professional, Ibiki! I would expect you to know that!"

"Psychologically, it leads—."

"Physically, you have a lover! Oh, I'm sorry. You _had _a lover."

"You don't mean that." Ibiki sighed, setting his book down on the desk as he walked around it. Iruka flushed even darker that his threat was not taken seriously.

"Oh, I do. Until you understand the difference between work and personal lessons, I mean it." He said firmly, crossing his arms. Ibiki frowned, setting his hands out on the desk and leaning on them.

"Iruka, he was sleeping with he enemy."

"_Was. _And as far as I've checked, he hasn't exactally masterminded an escape for that boy yet. Kakashi is more loyal to Konoha than half of the ninja that I can count off on both hands! What he does in private and what he does in his work are two different things. You had _no right _to take a hand in teaching him _anything!" _

"Now you're taking his side?"

"His _side, _Ibiki? Well yes, I am taking his side, when the other "side" is the man that just raped a boy ten years his junior to teach someone he knows very well would never jeopardize his village for sex! Unlike a certain someone I know who was willing to jeopardize his _relationship _for a _personal _lesson!" The younger man turned away, heading for the door. Ibiki was silent for once, struck by his lover's words. He couldn't really argue, could he? He hadn't thought about anyone else when he had taken it upon himself to teach his fellow Jounin a lesson. It was a worthwhile lesson, no doubt, and proved to be an effective method of torture... but what had he lost? Probably Kakashi's friendship, and possibly Iruka's affection. Sighing, the torture master hung his head in his hands. This was a mess... he was supposed to choose between personal life and his work? It had never been an issue before this. He almost wished that the silver-haired devil of a medic had not gotten himself caught in the first place.

He had foiled two other interrogations already by killing the other prisoners—Ibiki made a mental note to get Gakyu taken off of the torture squad, and he was still resisting their every tactic. While the younger man looked fragile, he was anything but. Looking at Ibiki, one could see very well that he would be good under torture. He hadn't expected it from the slender medic brought to him dazed and defiant. Then again, right now he could very well imagine someone like Iruka standing up just as well under such things. Loyalty was an amazing thing, and in his own blind desire to see it broken, Ibiki had forgotten to be loyal to those around him.

- - - - - - - - -

The endless darkness was no comfort to the weary and the wounded that night. It hadn't been all too long since he had been brought back to his cell, chained above his head to the cold stone wall that irritated his sensitive and lash-marked back each time he but breathed in the stale, damp air into his lungs. The air, the floor, and the wall were cold, chilling his now clammy skin even more, and even the goose pimples that rose up were painful to him. No matter how he shifted he could not become comfortable, sitting on his punished backside. That much had been done after what healing had taken place, fresh and painful, though the only hot place on his body. The medic tried to will himself to sleep, but it jut wasn't possible in his awkward position, and he was not yet tired enough to pass out.

They could come at any moment for another session... Kabuto was wearing thin under them, though he swore he would lose his mind before he let them loosen his tongue. They could drug him, beat him, cut him, burn him, or fuck him into oblivion. If not out of loyalty, by now out of sheer spite towards his captors, he would not speak a word. He did not expect anyone to save him. It was not his master's style to go out of his way for someone else. Kabuto may have been valuable to him, but right now he as nothing but a burden. Still, things could have been worse... He could have let his master go to take care of the warded lab, and had him injured in the resulting blast. This is what he was for, the life of a servant. From childhood he had served and served, without any real loyalty or home to call his own. Orochimaru had given him more than he ever could have asked for. A master who did not sell him out or abandon him. A home, though it traveled. Responsibility, and the means to conduct his own experiments and jutsus.

How could he betray such a person, even if he was as power-driven and selfish as he was?

Kakashi had been a nice side-game. The older man was passionate, strong, and terribly naïve. What was that line he had said to him once? 'We may be ninja...but we are also men.' It went against every code that had been drilled into him from the time he had learned to walk. Ninja only fought for their goal, the goal of their master or client. Any ninja that fell wounded or behind were to be killed, least they become a burden or be captured. Kakashi went against this concept, like the great White Fang of Konoha, his father before him. Kabuto had always thought it interesting, how the Jounin seemed now. His face masked, even to his closest friends, just like his true personality. All of his pain was hidden behind that calm, lazy exterior.

He had given Kabuto a rare glimpse into that true self, which in a lot of ways was just as happy as he seemed. It was also very sad. So much that even the dispassionate medic had felt shiver of melancholy when he caught the white-haired Jounin staring out of a window, unmasked and unguarded. Why the man had chosen to dally with him, and why Kabuto had allowed it, this was still the unanswered question.

Kabuto had heard form his master many times about the well-known Copynin. In fact, Kabuto had heard stories about most of Konoha's Jounin when they were young. Though Kakashi in himself was a mystery to him, because the Sannin had left before the young Kakashi had gotten his Sharingan. It was one thing that Kabuto had never brought himself to ask him about, though he had brought himself to place his lips tenderly over the scar once. Getting to know the mysterious, lazy Jounin, Kabuto came to learn that that scar symbolized _everything _that the older ninja was... and he had no idea as to _why_.

Feeling his head begin to get heavier at last, Kabuto welcomed sleep as it came. By his guess, which was very vague at this point, it had been just over a day since he had set foot in Konoha. That made it a few days since he had gone missing. His master would have heard of what happened by now. Would he be disappointed? Dare he hope, for an instant, that his master would be sad? It was possible... He had been with the Sannin for years, and seen almost every side of the powerful, and slightly delusional man. And right now, in his most painful, hopeless moment... he missed him. Orochimaru was unreachable to him in terms of strength and power, and so Kabuto had come to rely on him just as much as the Sannin relied on him, in terms of power. He was...safe with the legendary ninja above him, hiding under his wing, if it came to it.

Darkness came like a black, runny ink, covering the medic's tired and worn out mind in a tight grip. He wished he would never open his eyes.

- - - - - - - - -

The sun was dying over the horizon of rooftops, and the sky was a pale orange pink, fading into purple at the seam. Dozens of families were settling down for the evening, getting together for dinner, mothers calling their children in for the night, the children dirty and scratched up from playing ninja all day.

This was the world that Kakashi sought to protect. This single village was his world, the one that he had fought for and protected ever since he was but a child. From the window of his bedroom, high over the other rooftops around him, he watched this world getting ready to sleep, and remembered just what he was protecting. It wasn't as if he had ever forgotten, just that he had to remember that every person made a difference, and that the medic that he had been playing with was, in the end, a threat to this peace and quiet. If not on his own, then because of his master. And he as loyal to the man, one of Konoha most dangerous enemies. Why then, had he ever let Kakashi touch him? It wasn't a matter of why the Jounin had done it.

He had wanted to. The part of Kakashi that was not fake was his love of all things sexual. Gender didn't matter to him, and he'd had quite enough of both worlds, but people quickly tired of a man who was so devoted to his work, and was hesitant to remove his mask—even for a lover. Perhaps he had decided to sleep with the medic simply for the need to _have no _ties to begin with. Nothing was expected, and nothing was given except for the expected exchange of pleasure and the rare, whispered words. Maybe, at one time he had wanted more. Maybe he had wished they had never been together at all. Thus was the case now. Sliding from the ledge, Kakashi left his apartment.

He had to see him again. He had to find some kind of resolution, or he would go insane. The man who was willing to lose his life for anyone in this village was attached to an enemy, and this could not happen. He had to choose between them—but then he already had, and he felt the need to justify himself. Even if the medic had never expected anything from him, he owed him an apology. He had had contact with Kabuto, drawn him closer than was good for either of them, and now he so coldly pushed him away. Though it was perfectly understandable due to the circumstances. Really, both of them had simply been unwise in choosing a partner to satisfy their cravings. But then maybe it was _because _it was so forbidden that it had been so damn good in the first place.

It was almost fully dark by the time he neared the dreaded building that held all of Konoha's most dangerous and valuable criminals within the village. He was told that Ibiki was gone already, which was just fine for him. The older man probably had his hands full with his lover by now anyway. The ninja inside let him pass, but they watched him closely, probably on Ibiki's orders. That bastard still didn't trust him? He wondered if it had gotten to Tsunade yet, about his affair with an enemy. She was really going to chew him out if it had... But then again, she might not. Tsunade was a sensible woman, and a woman in general. She might better understand unexplained wantings better than a man, since women were so much more emotional.

The cell was only guarded by one man when he came to it. Of course, the medic wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. His tired dark eye merely stared into the shorter guards, and the man hesitated only a moment before he opened the cell with his key. Kakashi nodded his thanks, stepping into the room. The light from the crack of the door seemed to light only the corner that the sleeping one resided in, and the rest was so pitch that it seemed he would be swallowed up as soon as it was closed again. Kabuto was sleeping, like that...? He stepped closer to the body, his eye raking over the still form. His arms showed deep blue-black, purple, and even more healing yellow bruises on his once flawless skin, worst around his wrists then anywhere. His chest was a mottled mix of burns, lashes, and various bruises as well. One in particular on the side of his ribs, leading Kakashi to well believe one or more had been broken with that blow, probably from a foot. His legs, which had been drawn up close to his chest, it seemed, had slid down to a more comfortable position in his likely troubled sleep, were covered mostly with various bruises and lashes as well, though Kakashi could see that the backs were worse than the front of them. He didn't even want to see his back. The guard spoke from behind him,

"He killed the other prisoner, in the hall. Gakyu-san stopped to taunt him, and that one there, I guess he healed or something, and he hit him in the chest with his bare hand."

"This... is healed?" The masked Jounin asked, his eyebrow lifting as his visible eye widened, never taking it off of the medic's slowly raising and falling chest.

"...He couldn't walk when they brought him out. I haven't seen one that bad in a while... Usually Ibiki-taichou jumps to cutting off fingers and melting off skin. I guess he really wanted to break this one differently, for some reason...Ibiki-taichou did give him a good thrashing when he killed that other one though. Pulled him right over his knee. I don't think I've ever seen him do that before."

"..." Kakashi noted the still red-hot skin on the tops of the medic's thighs, and what he could see of his ass. "Could you leave me for a moment, please?"

"Ibiki-taichou said..."

"Leave the door open then." Kakashi snapped, and the guard winced. He left slowly, standing just outside the door. He didn't dare to keep watching though. The Jounin lifted his headband, looking with both eyes at the silver-haired teen. His legs that were so abused, he could still remember them wrapped around his waist, soft and warm and strong. The curve of his hips, slender and easy to hold, while still angular like any man's. That once pale, unmarked chest so ready to receive whatever kisses and caress' he could give it, and his back, that Kakashi did not risk waking him to see, a beautiful and flawless canvas of soft, smooth skin. His slender neck, which always seemed to easy to grip, if he had wanted to, was bruised with angry marks instead of love-bites and passion bred hickeys. His silky hair was tangled and tainted with blood where the water to wake him had not washed it away, and his face...

He knelt down, reaching out to press him thumb gently to a bruise at the corner of Kabuto's pale pink lips, running over it and his lower lip. He remembered the feel of those lips on his, kiss-swollen and moist, not dry and cracked as they were now. What was he doing here...? This was madness. Kakashi had been through a war, he had been through being betrayed and hurt by those around him, but never before had be been foolish enough to become involved with someone that he _knew _would betray him. He didn't love Kabuto. Love was something that was mutual, and shouldn't be this painful. Besides that, the stubborn, cat-like ninja only had eyes for his master—whether it was to serve him, or out of hopeless love. He leaned forward, pressing his lip softly to the younger man's. His voice was low and soft as he whispered, "...I'm sorry."

He stood slowly, hands in his pockets as he left the cell. There was nothing he could do. He had chosen to sleep with an enemy, and that enemy had been caught. He didn't need Ibiki to teach him anything, he already knew well enough. The knowledge was bitter, like salt in an open wound. The price of loyalty was harsh.


	4. Dawn

AuthorsNote: Oops, it's been a while! ; Man I learned my lesson about doing requests for ungrateful people though... Also... I spilled pop on my laptop!! Anyone know how to safely unstick keys?? D8

Chapter 3: Dawn

Night had already fallen on Konoha several hours ago, blanketing the many buildings in the pitch blackness of the new moon. Darker then anywhere else were the cells where the prisoners were held. However, what semblance did night and day have to the windowless cells in the below-ground holding kept for only the most dangerous or important of prisoners? No light that was natural reached here, only the dim electric ones, or the light given by the fires that lit the brands and boiled the water.

Many things had been learned this night, by many people. The arrogant Gakyu was without a job, and his boss Ibiki was distraught over his fight with his lover, his duties, and where to draw the line. The Jounin, Kakashi, was feeling foolish and guilty, and had withdrawn somewhere where he could think alone for a while. Anywhere as far from the horrible interrogation quarters as he could get.

And Kabuto... Kabuto, he was wide awake now. Exhaustion had faded enough for him to wake, and now he was stuck somewhere in between pain and blissful blackness. Too tired to move, and in too much pain to sleep any more. _Oh, _he needed to shift positions so badly, but his legs refused to move and his arms weren't of much use either, having been tied up for so long that every flex made him want to whimper in pain. He panted, fingers gripping at the chains weakly, legs flexing as he tried to draw them up closer to his body. Teeth clenched as he let a high, quiet whine escape from his split lips, his body trembling. The chains rattled as he let them go, a twinge in his lower back causing his legs to give way as if they were useless—and they were. Damn it!

"Hah...Nnn..." He panted, and his tongue felt thick as he licked his dry, cracked lips. He hadn't had water in days, beyond what they had doused him with to wake him. Dark eyes were half-closed, one of them swollen slightly. The cut on his cheek was throbbing, gods, he could practically feel the infection eating away at his skin. All of his brave words and stubborn pride, this is what it all boiled down to. Nothing but pain and suffering, and a slow, slow death. It didn't matter that he didn't have the chakara to heal—he suspected that they would be bringing in another medic soon to heal him. After all, they couldn't just let him perish this soon, could they?

Shit. He couldn't feel his fingertips. Sitting up a bit straighter with another whimper he grabbed the chains again. He had to keep a hold of them, or his hands were going to lose blood from the weight of his arms hanging on the thick iron cuffs. Never in his life had he imagined such suffering... He had always made sure that his subjects died as quickly and as painlessly as possible. Soft beds and warm skin felt far away, though something seemed to have brought the image back to him. Someone had been here while he was asleep... There was a familiar feeling in the air, but he couldn't place it. Ah, but then, perhaps he had been dreaming... or perhaps he was losing it at last, hallucinating. Wouldn't that be wonderful, to lose his mind now? He bit his lip as not to laugh. Oh, _please... _He fought the tears, his dark lashes wet as he shut his eyes. _Please, please... I... don't want to die... Not like this... _

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Everything was quiet now, in the place of pain and deep, dark secrets... All of the prisoners were resting "peacefully" in their dark, cramped cells. Interrogation had stopped for the day, and only a few guards remained. One such guard looked up as someone approached, squinting in the darkness. He blinked when the person came into the lit part of the hall, saluting.

"Ibiki-taichou... I thought you went home..." He said, and the other gave a tired smirk.

"Well, you know... I had some things to think about. Let me in. I'm going to try something new..." He said, his voice low. The guard nodded, unlocking the door and unsealing it as well.

"Hatake-san came by earlier... He just looked at him and left." He flinched at the look that his captain gave him.

"...Hatake?"

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, I know you said... but I thought you had left, and he was rather demanding about it." The guard apologized, hanging his head. Ibiki snorted, passing him. With a small jutsu he lit the single torch in the room, shedding light onto the shuddering, blinking one in the corner.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kabuto winced as soon as the door opened. They couldn't be serious! They really were going to kill him at this rate! There was a muffled sound outside, and he thought he heard a grunt. However, the figure in the door was no mere minion come to fetch him for his cruel captain, but the man of pain himself. He glared at Ibiki's form, but grimaced when the light was born, his sensitive eyes suddenly attacked by it. He took several deep, slow breaths as he tried to become accustomed to it, blinking his still wet eyes. Ibiki seemed to wait for him to come around as the door closed with a heavy sound, only seeking to farther confuse the medic. When his eyesight had adjusted enough he set his dark eyes on the tall and imposing man. Ibiki smirked,

"Still in once piece, I see..." He said slowly, and Kabuto glared.

"No thanks to you." He said acidly, but then smiled. "Ahh, I get it... You're alone this time. Maybe you didn't get enough of me back there... Maybe, you want more, all to yourself?" The medic shifted, calling on all of his reserves this time. He gripped the chains, lifting himself enough to pull his legs under him enough to sit on his knees, legs spread. He was panting by the time that he was done, feeling sweat running down his face and back, stinging every cut and burn along the way. "Hah...hnnn... W-well?" he breathed, his body trembling faintly. "A-afraid... I won't be as tight as before, but... Nnn... you're welcome to give me a try." He tried to purr, but it came out as more of a pained hiss.

Ibiki's expression was interesting. It was blank for a moment, and then... The torture master's eyes roamed his body so slowly that you would think he had not just put every mark that he lingered over there. Perhaps the sick bastard was merely admiring his handy work? What game was he playing at! For once, Kabuto didn't know.

"Teh. You'd go that far..."

"This far? For what, Morino-san? That is what you came in here alone for, right? To get another taste..." Kabuto licked his lips, "You know I won't talk... So have your fun while you can, right?"

"Shameless."

"Hahaha" Kabuto responded, a grin on his split lips. "Call it what you want. Loyalty, stubbornness, idiocy, pride... it's all the same. It's just my choice."

"And if I say you have many more days like this ahead of you?"

"Bring them. I'll bite off my own tongue before I even speak his _name _to you."

"..." Ibiki looked... surprised? "Idiot." He snapped, and he began to stride towards the medic with heavy footsteps. Kabuto tried not to flinch, he really did. When Ibiki knelt in front of him, one hand moving to his bruised and cut thigh, the other seizing his chin with iron fingers, he shuddered, letting out a shaky breath.

"You bas—!" He was cut off by those thick, warm, smooth lips pressed over his. He felt the tongue probing at his sore lips and he opened his mouth out of instinct. Idiot! How dare he be so bold! Just as his jaw tensed to bite down, he froze. There was something... hard? A pill.

A pill?! He took it with his tongue, tasting it. Poison? A mercy killing? No... He knew this taste well. A soldier pill. The kiss broke and Ibiki leaned back—Only that was not Ibiki. Kabuto's tears rose, slipping down his cheeks to sting his cut like hell—leaving streaks of clean skin behind. No...

Golden eyes stared back at him, framed by those violet markings he knew so well. Pale face framed by long raven hair, all clean and perfect. The hand on his chin was gentle, as was the voice that spoke. Low and rough with age, but still smooth and soothing at the same time. "Bite it." He ordered, and Kabuto felt the pill crack under pressure from his teeth. He froze again, and the Sannin smiled. "Now swallow." He said, and Kabuto tried to shake his head. He would not be tricked! Orochimaru only shook his head in return, leaning forward to lick at the cut on the medic's cheek, reopening it with his tongue. Kabuto whimpered, eyes closed tightly as he felt the wound cleaned so ... animalsticly. The tongue, that long and talented thing, it continued upwards, cleaning his tears away, and his lips were pressed to Kabuto's ear. A voice that was soft and so familiar spoke again, "Swallow..."

"N-No..." He moved to spit it out but a white hand clapped over his mouth swiftly.

"Kabuto." He spoke sharply. "You do that and you'll regret it. I can't get you out of here like this."

"You're not..." The silver-haired one protested, and Orochimaru sighed.

"...The things I do for you." He reached up, undoing the cuffs with a thin pick. Kabuto cried out as his arms fell, stiff and sore from being uplifted so long. "Look at me, boy." Orochimaru reached into a bag at his side, pulling out a pair of glasses and setting them on his nose. It took the medic a moment to adjust to being able to see without straining his eyes but he soon realized, in shock, that the Sannin had dropped his genjutsu. Short and thick wavy blond hair, with peach, soft skin. Only his eyes were the same. There was no way that Konoha would know what his master's real body looked like right now. Kabuto swallowed the pill, and Orochimaru smiled. "Good boy." He said quietly, as he recalled his jutsu.

"Oh... Oh gods... what did I...?" Kabuto felt his face grow hot with embarrassment. "The things I just said... and did..." He murmured. Orochimaru only smiled.

"I was flattered. What about the others?"

"Dead. I killed them. How did you...?" Kabuto asked, as he felt the pill working, though on his starved and abused body, it was minimal. His master handed him a large canteen and he took it, opening the cap to tilt his head back, drinking in large gulps.

"Just as easy as I did at the Chuunin Exams. But enough questions, I need you to change..." He pulled out a pair of black pants and a shirt, handing them to his medic. Kabuto set the canteen aside, changing as quickly as he could. He still lacked the chakara to heal himself _and _do any amount of running, so he left his wounds intact for now. This meant that each and every swish of the cloth was agony for the silver-haired youth, but he managed it somehow. He stood with help of his master's hands on his arm, but even with that his breath was coming fast.

"Orochimaru...sama... I _can't_..."

"I won't hear it. I didn't come all the way here just to leave you."

"Then... kill me. It's alright, if it's you..._agh_!" He cried out as he was shoved back against the wall, one pale hand fisted into the front of his shirt.

"Foolish boy, don't you understand? Haven't I told you before? You're not so easily replaced!" He snapped, and Kabuto forgot about the pain in his back for a moment. He flushed slightly, only managing to give a small nod. When he was released his legs felt weak and he wavered, but he held his ground, his back throbbing anew.

"The guards..." He worried, but the Sannin shook his head, opening the door to reveal the dead body of the guard, slumped down against the wall as if asleep, but the pool of blood was growing under him. "Ah..." So that was the sound that he had heard when he door had been opened...

"Can you henge?" His master asked,

"Only for about a minute." Kabuto replied with a wince. The Sannin frowned,

"That will have to be enough." He said grudgingly. That night, the only ones seen leaving from the building would be Ibiki and the guard that had been at his room. They slipped silently across dark alleys and shadowed rooftops swiftly. Well, about as swiftly as Kabuto could manage to go, with was rather lagging at the moment. When the wall was in sight the Sannin put out his hand to still the medic.

"I will go first to make sure none block our way... In a fight, I don't want to take any chances." He said firmly, but Kabuto winced.

"You mean you don't need dead weight." He said sourly, and the Sannin's face remained passive. "But Orochimaru-sama... it's enough that you came all this way. Your body... Aren't you in pain as well?" Kabuto asked, forgetting for a moment his master's hate of comfort or worry. Orochimaru smirked,

"And just who do you think will be fixing the both of us medicine when we return home, Kabuto?" He asked, and his medic opened his mouth, but thought better of the wisdom of angering his master right now. He _had _said that he couldn't be replaced, right? So he nodded instead, trying to take some solace in his master's assurance and confidence. At this point, Kabuto was afraid to hope he would ever see home again... But his master had come for him. That was all he really needed, wasn't it?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

At the moment, Kakashi was cursing all of the gods in the sky, and the ones in Hell while he was at it. It had taken him a moment to fully understand what he was looking at, at first. The figure huddled behind a water tower on the rooftop could most certainly not be who he thought it was, because that person was currently locked away tight and secure. A flash of glasses on a distant street light and a shock of silver hair confirmed it however, and he felt as if a cold stone had been dropped right into the pit of his stomach.

Kabuto... Kabuto had escaped. But _how_? It was... Well, _nothing _was impossible with ninja... But it was highly improbable! He'd seen many S rank ninja held by those prison walls over the years, and never had there been one successful escape! Kabuto may not be a normal youth, and maybe not even a normal genius, but even Kakashi didn't think that he would be able to escape the prison so easily—and in that condition!

You see, sharing a bed with someone led to great advantages over each other in battle. In bed, one unconsciously revealed each and every secret of their body. To someone like Kakashi, who happened to love remembering details about lovers in bed, this was the easiest thing to exploit. Move right, move left, bend and duck, they all held specific patterns that one could easily deduct even without something like a Sharingan. And Kakashi just happened to _have _a Sharingan, and he hated to wear his headband in bed. Better to see all of the person writhing under him.

Kabuto favored his right leg more than his left, and his left wrist was swollen badly, probably ruling out that arm for a decent threat. He wore his glasses somehow but he likely had a headache the size of this village right now getting used to being able to see clearly again. All and all, he held no chance. Kakashi watched him press his wounded back against the water tower as he slid around the side of it, as if ready to dash. Damn the gods and the devils... Why, why did _he _have to be the one to see him?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kabuto head the low whistle at last, and he took a few slow breaths as he slid around to the side of the tower that he had been ducking behind. He gathered the strength to move at all with more slow, heavy breaths. Already his body was damp with sweat, all though the night was cold and slightly breezy. Finally, he leapt from the rooftop—And the air was suddenly forced from his lungs as something solid slammed into his ribs, knocking him roughly to the black-top once again. He rolled twice before something seized him, grabbing his injured wrist and squeezing it as something cold and sharp was pressed to the side of his neck. He cried out shortly, glasses having flown off, clattering to the rooftop. He coughed, and a familiar voice spoke lowly,

"Damn it, Kabuto... Just a moment later, and I would have been gone..."

"Ka...Kakashi?" He asked, squinting his eyes in the almost perfect blackness of the new moon's night. Kakashi's expression was tired, but firm.

"...I have to take you back, Kabuto." He said grimly, but Kabuto shook his head.

"No, you have to let go. Let go, Kakashi!" He protested, grabbing the Jounin's wrist that held the kunai with his good hand. Kakashi frowned.

"You know I can't do that..."

"No, you don't understand! You have to let go, quickly!" He almost shouted, but still the Copy-nin did not understand. All things considered, Kabuto should not have cared at all. And he didn't, really—he just... Kakashi had not directly harmed him. He had only done his job, just as Kabuto would have done... He took no part in any of his pain here. _Gods, damn you..._ Enemy or not, Kakashi had never done him any harm. He saw movement and he winced. Reaching up with his good hand, he grabbed the back of Kakashi's neck and pulled him down as he moved up. Their lips pressed together tightly, through the soft, warm mask, closing his dark eyes. Oh, why was it Kakashi...?

He felt the Jounin's body grow rigid and hard suddenly, and he opened his eyes to see the kunai at his neck the cause. His master stood behind the Jounin, leaning partway over him, and his hand was steady. His own dark eyes half-closed, moving back to the masked ninja above him. _I tried to warn you..._ His expression said. But then his master spoke,

"Good job, Kabuto." His silky, low voice said. As simple as that. Kakashi's dark eye narrowed, and the medic could see every bit of anger and betrayal in it. No! It hadn't been like that, not at all! Perhaps he thought his master would kill the Jounin, but it wasn't a distraction! This was all wrong... Orochimaru's hand tightened in the kunai, and Kakashi was not pressing his own any harder. "I cannot afford to lose him here, and I don't think I can convince you to back off so easily... It's a shame, but it looks as if I'll have to finish you this time, young Kakashi..." The Sannin spoke, as if he were not about to kill the infamous Copy-nin, but demote him. A drop of blood fell, sinking into the blackness of Kabuto's shirt.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The kiss had shocked the Jounin, who expected some sort of resistance. He almost pulled back form it before he realized that he was wearing his mask. Whatever the medic was going to do, it didn't have to do with skin contact. The hand at the back of his neck was gentle, and it would have been impossible for him to make the signs of a jutsu. When Kakashi felt the kunai, he knew he had been fooled. Breaking the chaste kiss off, he frowned down at the medic, who seemed a little surprised as well. However, when the Sannin spoke, his shock and confusion turned to anger.

How could he do this? What the two had shared may have been nothing but blind and foolish physical pleasure, but it was honest. To use something like this to distract him... He heard Orochimaru talking, and his hand shook, but he couldn't find it in himself to cut the throat of the man who had been under willingly him so many times. The one who had already suffered so much at the hands of his village for his blind loyalty... Enemy or not, such stubborn endurance deserved praise. He felt the kunai cutting into his neck, and his mind was surprisingly clear...

"_STOP_!" The loud, clear voice cut through his haze of thoughts, bringing him back to his present situation. The kunai had frozen. He looked down into the medic's wet, dark eyes. "S-Stop, Orochimaru-sama... _please..._" Kabuto whispered, his hand over the Sannin's that was holding the deadly weapon, and it was trembling. Those eyes turned to his, and he swallowed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Orochimaru was shocked at his medic's outburst, stilling the instant that the hand touched his. Was Kakashi pressing his as well? A quick glance told him that this wasn't so. There was no blood on Kabuto's pale neck, other than the angry bruises and marks from the torture that he had endured in his master's name. He frowned, but one look at Kabuto's gaze told him what he wanted to know. His eyes were firmly on the Jounin, and in such a state... He put things together slowly, and his golden eyes narrowed in a mix of anger, and a tight knot in his chest reserved for some sort of betrayal. With one swift movement he hit the back of the Jounin's head with the rounded hilt of the kunai.

Kabuto grunted as the older man's weight was pressed to his chest, shoving him off slowly. He sat up, panting, his eyes anywhere but his master's face. He cleared his throat at last, speaking up softly, "I'm sor—"

"This isn't the place." Orochimaru hissed, seizing the medic's arm and hauling to his uneasy feet. What a way to find out that your most loyal had been sleeping with the enemy. "They'll be all over us with the way that you shouted like that. Let's go. You can explain to me, _completely, _when we're home." He said coolly, and Kabuto merely nodded.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama..." He said quietly. The Sannin sighed, his eyes on the wall ahead of them.

"Don't think this means I've forgotten what you've just been through for me. But this is another subject entirely... This is personal."

"I know. I'm so—"

"Hush. Not a word until we're home." He snapped, and Kabuto swallowed. Slowly, he nodded. "Very well. Let's move."

By the time the Kakashi awake with a splitting headache and three Anbu around him, the two Otonin were long gone.

Miles away, for the first time in several hellish days, Kabuto saw the light of day breaking through a pitch black night.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

PS: Now... Shall I make a sequel? If I don't hear from you, I won't. No use writing if no one's going to read it... D8


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